Having a healthy smile is one of the first things people notice when they meet you, and is also an indicator of your overall health. However, to keep your pearly whites looking their best, they require lots of maintenance. Regularly brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist are all key, but your diet is just as important for keeping teeth healthy. Cutting out certain foods and drinks from your diet is essential for long lasting, shiny white teeth. Otherwise, your teeth and gums are more susceptible to suffering decay, breakage, and inflammation. The following items are important to limit for keeping a healthy smile!
Sugar
This should be a no-brainer by now. When combined with the bacteria naturally in our mouth, sugar causes the decay of the enamel on our teeth. This decay then leads to painful (and expensive!) cavities. The worst offender is gummy candies, which stick to our teeth and can sit there for who knows how long. This speeds up the break down process to cause damage to our teeth. If you can’t kick the sugar habit entirely (you’re not alone), a good solution is to rinse your mouth with water after eating sugary substances. This helps to swish away the sugar particles left on your teeth.
Acidic Foods And Drinks
Acidic foods and drinks throw off the pH balance of good and bad bacteria in your mouth, which leads to several problems. For starters, an increase in bad bacteria leads to more inflammation. Additionally, your teeth are likely to have more erosion, even sometimes causing teeth to appear clear. Dentists recommend you avoid eating high acidic fruits directly, such as limes, grapes, and grapefruits for a healthier mouth. Lemon water however, which has many health benefits, is safe enough to drink for the water helps to dilute the lemon’s high acid content.
The top drink to avoid? Soda, for it has the double whammy of containing high amounts of both sugar AND acid. Sparkling water beverages are also fairly acidic and are best avoided. If you are worried about having to ditch your morning cup of joe, fear not! The level of acid in coffee is very low, so a swish of water post-latte can help to reduce any risks.
Nuts
Nuts are considered a healthy snack, but the way we eat them can be terrible for our teeth. You should never break open nut shells with your bare teeth, as this can wear them down and cause breakage. Another way to soften nuts before consumption is to let them soak in olive oil. This is especially useful if you have had any dental procedures in the past.
Starchy Carbs
Not only are starchy carbs like potato chips a bad snack alternative (high in fat, sugar, sodium… the list goes on), they also are bad for your teeth. These processed carbs easily break into small particles and can get stuck unknowingly in your teeth. The high sugar content then wears away at your teeth and starts to cause decay. You should reach for some non-citrus fruits or veggies instead as a great snack alternative to boost your health and smile!
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